EFFECTIVENESS OF SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING: A CASE STUDY OF PAKISTAN'S DOMESTIC AIRLINES PIA, AIRSIAL AND AIRBLUE

Abstract

Purpose: Aviation industry has been neglected in Pakistan for its relevance and contribution in the gross domestic product (GDP). Specially, the marketing campaigns of the domestic airlines have seldom been probe and analyzed. In the age of globalization, social media has emerged as an essential tool for establishing closeness with the consumer and attaining competitive advantage through capturing market share by skewing consumer behavior in favor of the brand. All business, leading brands and airlines have social media handles. This purpose ofthis study is to determine the effectiveness of current social media (Facebook) marketing efforts of the domestic airlines. P1A has been chosen because it is the national carrier, Air Blue has been in the market for more than a decade while Air Sial is a new entrant in the market space. The study evaluates ihe impact offour independent variables namely, content quality, frequency of visits, user experience and online C2C information over customer’s purchase intention. This study provides insight for interactive, digital, and social media marketers to re-strategize their marketing efforts and make innovative content to create positive e-WOM which renders purchase and future purchase intention. Methodology: SPSS is utilized to analyzed the collected and examine the stated hypotheses. Reliability, Pearson correlation and Regression analysis tests are used for statistical examination of data. Findings: Content quality, User Experience, Frequency of Visits and Online C2C Information are positively related to the consumer’s purchase intention. PIA Facebook page has bettei brand among the domestic population while Air Blue and Air Sial Facebook page has awareness under-performed. Implications: Pakistani market has promising future for the airlines. While new entry in the business is difficult, existing airlines can change the face of domestic competition by intensifying their marketing efforts and maintaining active online presence. In this regard, social media as a cost effective and important marketing tool has to be utilized to skew positive consumer behavior towards the airline.